Truck Show Report: By Jon Boyer For two days in August, some of the finest working trucks and show rigs in the West rolled into Utah for the 2026 Great Salt Lake Truck Show. Held on August 14-15, the annual event once again brought truck drivers, families, trucking companies, industry partners and the general public together for a weekend celebrating trucks, trucking, and a cause that has been at the heart of the show for decades. As the largest truck show in the state of Utah, this year’s event welcomed 100 registered trucks, filling the show grounds with everything from beautifully restored classics to late-model working trucks, all polished to perfection. But behind the chrome and lights is a much bigger purpose – truckers helping families. Proceeds from the Great Salt Lake Truck Show benefit the National Kidney Foundation of Utah and Idaho and its Kidney Camp, which provides an opportunity for patients and their families to get away, connect with others facing similar challenges, and learn how to better live with kidney disease. For patients undergoing dialysis three to five times a week, even a simple vacation can be difficult. Kidney Camp gives these individuals an opportunity they otherwise may not have. Louise Lewis Perez, Director of Development for the National Kidney Foundation of Utah, has been involved with the Great Salt Lake Truck Show for 35 years. She said the event has deep roots in Utah’s trucking community and was created after the England family had kidney disease affect them. Every dollar donated through the event supports the Foundation’s work and Kidney Camp. “It’s a family camp, which sounds like fun and games, but it is the single most life-saving effort that we enact as the Kidney Foundation,” Perez said. The camp allows kidney patients to meet others who understand what they are experiencing, learn about transplantation and dialysis, and most importantly, get some hope back. According to Perez, the truck show has helped fund the camp for decades, giving hundreds of kidney patients a chance to see that life can continue despite kidney disease. The festivities kicked off Friday, August 14, as trucks began rolling onto the grounds. Drivers wasted little time breaking out the cleaning supplies as they prepared their trucks for the show. Hours of work went into making sure every bit of chrome, paint and stainless was shining, but Mother Nature decided to add a little extra work. A rainstorm passed through on Friday, soaking the grounds and all those freshly-polished rigs. No strangers to bad weather, once the storm moved through, drivers went right back to work, wiping down their rigs, and getting them shining again. By Friday evening, nothing could keep the crowds away. Attendees got to enjoy a Dutch oven dinner accompanied by live music, providing an opportunity for drivers, families and friends to relax and catch up. Then, as darkness settled over the show grounds, the trucks took over. Rows of illuminated rigs came alive during the show’s popular Light Show, with LEDs, marker lights and custom lighting reflecting across acres of polished chrome. The nighttime display attracted a large crowd and once again proved to be one of the highlights of the weekend. But this show is much more than just shining trucks. Saturday morning began with the National Kidney Foundation’s Kidney Walk, putting the reason behind the event front and center. The Foundation also offered free kidney screenings throughout the day, giving attendees an opportunity to learn more about their own kidney health. From there, the day’s activities shifted into high gear. One of the crowd favorites is Dunk-A-Trooper, where attendees get their chance to send participating law enforcement officers into the dunk tank. The annual Human Truck Pull provided another opportunity for competitors and spectators to have some fun, while rows of trucks remained on display for families to admire. For many of the drivers, however, the Great Salt Lake Truck Show isn’t about trophies – it’s about the people. Steve Beatty of Godfrey Trucking has spent 46 years behind the wheel and 38 years with Godfrey. Driving a 2026 Kenworth W900L, Beatty has attended the Great Salt Lake Truck Show 33 of the past 37 years. “It’s the camaraderie,” Beatty said. “If you don’t show up, people wonder where you’re at.” For Beatty, the show provides a once-a-year opportunity for drivers to reconnect, 52 10-4 Magazine / October 2026 SHINING FOR A CAUSE
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